New to the Fourms..

This is a discussion on New to the Fourms.. within the Introduce Yourself forums, part of the Welcome to Tropical Fish Keeping category; -->
Hello everyone,
Just some basic info about me, I have 2 tanks ones a 30gal and 55gal.
The 30gal was my first real tank( ...

The 30gal was my first real tank( i mean real as in trying to keep everything good for the fish and low stress levels) Currently my setup is a bunch of random stuff I had to through together to start the cycling process as my fiance had to have fish! haha.. I have owned Snakes my whole like and i know that there is alot more then just buying a cage and the Animals/fish/reptiles.. So im here to make sure everything is aye okay..

Back on Subject.. the 30gal only went thro about a 4day cycle were there was no fish just decor, before my fiance bought fish in put in it.. From what ive read we have been very lucky and have only lost 4 fish out of a total of 11.. Current fish in the 30gal is 3 Rosy barb , Albino Red tail, Cherry barb?, Orange chilcid,African black Chilcid, Fire-mouth Chilcid and an Alge eater.. 2 live plants 1 fake and Piece of Coral that was Found on the beach ( we let them set in hot water for 3 day changing water ever so often before putting them in), and a piece of drift wood..please excuse me if my name are incorrect lol

but anyways Im new to the scene and will be making somepost of the water test i do to get some good feedback for you guy/girls...

I see some issues with the mix of fish you have in the same aquarium. Best suggestion I can make at the moment is to check out the info in the fish profiles on this site. Questions on this can then be posted as a new thread in the appropriate section where more will see it and you'll have a better response to "technical" questions.

I see some issues with the mix of fish you have in the same aquarium. Best suggestion I can make at the moment is to check out the info in the fish profiles on this site. Questions on this can then be posted as a new thread in the appropriate section where more will see it and you'll have a better response to "technical" questions.

Byron.

Yeah i thought so to but so far they all get along besides the little fish we have the Cherry barb likes to Chase the Rosy barbs ever now and then... besides from that they get along great surprisingly and they are very active...

Yeah i thought so to but so far they all get along besides the little fish we have the Cherry barb likes to Chase the Rosy barbs ever now and then... besides from that they get along great surprisingly and they are very active...

This is what we often hear, but I can assure you that disaster may be closer than you now think. I'll try to explain.

Fish grow their entire lives, unlike many other animals, and the internal organ development can be severely hindered if the fish, even when juvenile, is in too small an aquarium. While "space" has a part in this, the more important aspect is the water volume in terms of water quality. And I don't mean the aquarist doing a weekly water change and having a good filter; I mean the substances that are in the water inhabited by fish that can affect both that fish and other fish. As an example, discus breeders frequently raise fry in tanks that would be too small for proper and healthy development were it not for the fact that they change 90% of the tank water several times each day. This allows the fish to develop properly, with healthy immune systems and organs.

But there are other concerns too. Take the Algae eater, which I am assuming is the common Chinese Algae Eater. This fish grows to more than 6 inches, becomes very aggressive as it does, and on top of this won't eat algae except when very young. All on its own in a 30g might be fine, but not with other fish in what is too small a tank. And fish with aggressive tendencies frequently get them far worse when "crowded" young, just as fish that normally would not be aggressive, like many tetras, will turn nasty when they are on their own (as opposed to being in a group of 6+) and/or in too small a tank. The tank size, both physical limitations and the effect on the water quality, is the reason.

Most of us have learned the hard way, that the time to select the correct fish is at the very beginning with the potential size and probable behaviours taken into account. Some fish can be nasty in one tank but others of the same species seem fine in another tank; but the inherent behaviours that nature has programmed into the species are still there, perhaps latent (at the moment), but they are like the proverbial powder keg--the possibility is there, just waiting for the spark that sets it off. And too many fish with conflicting "behaviours" in too small an environment is just such a spark.

This is all meant to be constructive, for the good health of your fish.

Okay thanks for the information... I have a 55 gallon that im setting up at the moment.. just want live plants and so far keeping the few i have is becoming a task lol.. i will diff start researching on a good setup for a 55gal tank with live plants, and good Substrate. any advice??

Okay thanks for the information... I have a 55 gallon that im setting up at the moment.. just want live plants and so far keeping the few i have is becoming a task lol.. i will diff start researching on a good setup for a 55gal tank with live plants, and good Substrate. any advice??

Plants are in my view easier than most fish to keep alive and healthy--but it does mean providing the basics in balance. I see you've read Part 1 of my planted tank series, and I think you'll find the general information in the 4 articles a good starting place. Any specific questions from that, just ask.